Trump Asks Supreme Court to Decide Whether He Can End Birthright Citizenship
President Donald Trump has formally asked the U.S. Supreme Court to determine whether he has the constitutional authority to end automatic birthright citizenship in the country. The move follows multiple federal court rulings that blocked his executive order, which aimed to restrict citizenship only to children born in the U.S. if at least one parent is either a U.S. citizen or a lawful permanent resident.
The executive order, signed by Trump on his first day back in office, was set to apply to births occurring 30 days after its issuance. However, lower courts struck it down as unconstitutional, citing the 14th Amendment, which grants citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to its jurisdiction.
In its appeal, the Justice Department argues that universal birthright citizenship has become an incentive for illegal immigration and so-called birth tourism. The administration is urging the Supreme Court to bypass the regular appeals process and take up the case directly.
If the Court agrees to hear the case, it could result in a historic constitutional battle over the interpretation of the 14th Amendment’s Citizenship Clause and the extent of executive power in shaping citizenship policy.
